“White girls play flute, Black boys play saxophone, Asian girls play violin”?

This exploratory, cross-cultural study investigates the intersection of gender and racial associations with Western classical musical instruments among individuals who have studied music in the United States and China (N = 241). Findings reveal consistent stereotypes, such as the flute being associated with White females and the saxophone with African American males across both national contexts. Notably, certain instruments lack representation from marginalised groups, including African American, Latino, Middle Eastern, and Indigenous communities. Drawing on Bourdieu’s concepts of cultural capital, habitus, and symbolic violence, the study interprets these perceptions as reflections of globalised patterns embedded in the classical music industry. The results point to enduring systemic patterns in global music cultures that reproduce exclusionary norms, transcending borders. This research contributes to the broader discourse on diversity in the global creative industries by highlighting how implicit associations and institutional norms shape cultural access and representation.